by Tara Kuther, Ph.D.

Should you apply to medical school? Is a career as a doctor for you? Sure there are lots of pluses to being a doctor, first and foremost the prestige. Physicians are respected because they are able to meet the high demands of medical practice.

• Are you prepared to keep long hours diligently?
• Can you manage the stress that a physician's job entails?
• Are you prepared to deal with the potential for malpractice suits?
Do you have the motivation to remain dedicated over years of education and training?
• Can you make the sacrifices that this career requires, including the expense of training, time requirements, and lack of sleep?
• Do you feel that you have a calling to help others? A bedside manner that cannot be taught?
• Are you interested in science?

A career as a doctor can be exhausting, stressful, and yet amazingly rewarding. If you have a strong desire to learn medical science, as well as to help, a career in medicine might be for you.

Consider the Time Frame
Most medical school graduates are about 26 years old. Then they enter three years of internship and residency. After residency, some doctors focus on a particular specialty. So, it's not uncommon to complete training in the mid-thirties.

Consider Finances
Sure we think of doctors as having lots of money, but they also have lots of debt. Education debt often runs as high as $100,000 or more. Some physicians head into high-paying sub-specialties, instead of being primary care physicians, simply to pay for their medical schooling. In addition to living expenses, tuition in a private US medical school will be more than $25,000 for the first year alone. Public universities tend to charge lower tuition for in-state residents ($10,000-15,000 in US schools). However, out-of-state residents can expect to pay well over $20,000 in a public school.